Faster fault finding with drones
Collaborating with Aurora Energy, Northpower provided advanced inspection capability across South Island networks, using drones and thermal imaging to identify faults.
Annual Report 2026
27 May 2026
Taking inspections beyond our borders
This year marked a step change for the Inspection Solutions team, as demand for specialist inspection services continued to grow across Aotearoa and internationally.
Our Inspection Solutions team consists of highly experienced asset inspection engineers dedicated to ensuring the resilience and reliability of electricity networks.
Through rapid capability growth, new technologies, and strong client partnerships, the team expanded its reach while continuing to deliver safe, reliable inspection services that help customers better understand and manage their assets.
Responding to growing demand
Demand for inspection services increased significantly this year, driven by the need for more accurate asset information, improved network reliability, and more efficient maintenance planning.
In response, the Inspection Solutions team scaled to meet this growth. This strengthened our ability to deliver larger and more complex inspection programmes, while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, and responsiveness.
Supporting clients internationally
The team continued to build international experience this year, delivering specialist inspection services across Australia.
Much of this work focused on acoustic inspection programmes for utility, industrial, and mining customers, helping identify early signs of asset wear or failure in challenging operating environments.
These projects extended Northpower’s capability, delivering specialist inspection services across New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific, while reinforcing the value of its specialist inspection offering internationally.
Advancing capability through technology and innovation
New technology continues to improve how we deliver inspections.
This included a trial of drone-in-a-box capability, enabling drones to be deployed remotely and autonomously inspect our assets. The trial demonstrated potential improvements in safety, consistency, and efficiency for routine inspections, while reducing the need for manual site access and supporting faster decision-making.
Alongside this, the team continues to trial and evaluate a range of emerging inspection methods and specialist testing technologies in partnership with customers. This collaborative approach ensures new capabilities are tested in real-world conditions and aligned to industry needs, while continuing to evolve safer, faster, and more informed approaches to asset management.
Our unique approach
A key strength of the Inspection Solutions team is the combination of specialist skills and inspection methods used to build a clearer picture of asset condition. The team brings together experienced engineers, highly qualified drone pilots, and field inspection specialists to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.
Instead of relying on a single type of inspection, we combine drone imagery, thermal scanning, acoustic technology, and visual assessments to give customers a more complete understanding of how their assets are performing.
This integrated approach helps identify issues earlier, prioritise maintenance more effectively, and support better-informed decisions about network reliability.
Core inspection capabilities
The team delivers a range of specialist inspection services, including:
- acoustic inspection
- thermal drive-by inspection
- aerial drone inspection, pole-top and conductor photography
- asset condition assessments
- reactive fault investigation and emergency response inspections.
These services are often combined to provide a more complete view of asset condition and performance.
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